Putting on a Show
by Copper's Mama
Summary: Chloe/Oliver fic. The media thinks that Chloe and Oliver are together, and the two let them believe that to maintain the security of the Isis Foundation/League headquarters. Takes place season 8.
1. Chapter 1

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_A Chloe/Oliver fic. _

_..._

_Disclaimer: Nope, don't own Smallville. _

_..._

_A/N: I've had way too many ideas for Chlollie fics lately, and every time I start one, another pops into my head. So, I have about 6 that I've started, that are still waiting to be finished. Hopefully I'll be able to get some of them up before I get distracted by another idea. _

_This one takes place shortly after the season 8 episode 'Hex', but as thought Chloe and Jimmy never got married in season 8 (in my opinion, Chloe only said yes to Jimmy to forget about everything that happened to her, and try to cling to some sense of normalcy), and Davis isn't in the picture at all. A photographer snaps a picture of Chloe and Oliver, takes it to the media, who immediately assumes that they are dating. In the whirlwind, Chloe and Oliver realize that their 'fake' relationship is a perfect cover for the league's headquarters being at the Isis foundation, and decide to go with it. _

_I hope you guys like this, I know I'll love writing it. _

_As always, please read and review, I live for feedback! _

...

"Something you wanna tell me, 'Cos?" Lois asked her, her hands behind her back.

Chloe looked up from her cup of coffee, glancing at her cousin. "I finished the pot, and didn't make another?" she guessed.

Lois shook her head, narrowing her eyes as she looked down at her younger cousin. "You know, I know that me and Oliver have been over for a while now, but the least you could have done was give me a head's up."

Chloe furrowed her brow, setting down the warm mug in her hands. "Lo, what are you talking about?"

Lois took the paper out from behind her back, dropping it down on the table.

It was a copy of some trashy tabloid magazine, which was bad enough, but on the cover was a large photograph of her and Oliver, where Oliver was kissing her cheek, and the headline read: "Metropolis's Most Eligible Bachelor Like's 'Em Blonde and Brilliant". Underneath the photo was a caption of the two, along with a short description of Chloe's ex-reporter life, and her newer status as the Head of the Isis Foundation.

Chloe blinked several times, staring at the photo in front of her. "You don't honestly believe this, Lois? I mean, it's totally out of context." She remembered the night the photo had been taken. It was a couple nights ago, and she and Oliver had just come out of Isis. They were still fine-tuning it to use as headquarters for the little band of heroes, and the kiss on the cheek had only be a 'see you later' kind of kiss. Nothing romantic.

Lois stared down at her, her hands settling onto her hips. "Really? 'Cause I wasn't even aware that you and Oliver spent that much time together, let alone enough to be kissing friends."

"It's only on the cheek, Lois," Chloe reminded her, standing up from the table to pour her coffee into a travel mug. She had to get to Oliver before this got out of control.

"Look, Chloe, I'm not mad," Lois informed her. "I just wish I didn't have to hear about it for the first time from some sleazy magazine."

Chloe sighed, knowing that Lois wasn't going to believe her. "Can we talk about this later, Lo? I gotta be somewhere."

Lois sighed, watching her cousin quickly gather her stuff up, and exit the small apartment. She herself was running late for work, but as soon as she got a chance, she planned on confronting the other half of Metropolis's newest couple.

...

Oliver had been fielding phone calls and emails for the last hour. His PR people wanted to know why he hadn't informed them of the relationship, so that they could control the media coverage. Many other magazines and newspapers had contacted him, wanting to set up and interview.

He'd told them all 'no comment', annoyed that the public had such an interest in his personal life, especially when the photo was more of a hoax than anything else. Being in the spotlight was a part of his life, he was used to it ... but he didn't want to put Chloe through all that, either.

He had been about to pick up the phone to call her and forewarn her, when he was suddenly struck with an idea. As much as he didn't want Chloe to get caught in the paparazzi crosshairs, the photo presented them with an opportunity.

If they just came out and said there was nothing happening between them, there would be questions asked. Why he was at the Isis Foundation with her so late, why they spent so much time together, what they could possibly have in common. The media was harsh, he was well aware of that. And now that Chloe had been brought into it, he knew that they wouldn't just accept a 'no comment', or even a 'we're just friends' statement.

They had only just started using the Isis Foundation as a headquarters of sorts for their team to conference in with one another. He would be spending quite a bit of time there, unless they found a more permanent location to have their meetings. Either way, the Isis Foundation was now in the spotlight in a whole new way ... he could either take advantage of that, or risk having everything blown.

Oliver had already set aside money to use as a donation to the Isis Foundation, wanting to have a cover for this specific reason. He would tell the press that he simply supported what the foundation was about. But that still didn't explain the kiss on the cheek.

Oliver groaned, dropping his head into his hands. Things would be much less complicated if he hadn't done that. It had been completely spontaneous, but really, it had only been a goodbye kiss. He and Chloe had gotten closer since she became Watchtower, but it wasn't anything like that.

So, he had a choice. Tell the media the truth, or use the situation to their advantage.

He was interrupted from his thoughts when the person in question strode into his office.

"Got a second?" she asked him, slightly breathless.

Oliver nodded, standing up from his desk. He came around the front, leaning back against the desk and crossing his arms over his chest. "I assume you read the papers this morning?"

"Briefly," Chloe confirmed. "But only because Lois thrust it in my face."

Oliver cringed. He'd forgotten about Lois. "You okay?"

Chloe nodded. "Yeah, but I'll be better once we get this all sorted out."

Oliver pursed his lips carefully.

"What?" Chloe wondered, reading his face.

"Well ... I was thinking about that," Oliver started.

Chloe crossed her own arms, staring headlong at him. "I'm listening."

...

Chloe was nervous. More nervous than she'd been in a long time. What Oliver had told her made sense, and it wasn't as though he'd had to twist her arm too much to get her on-board, but she was still nervous. She had to lie to Lois about what they were doing, because Lois didn't know about everyone else: Bart, Victor, AC, Dinah ... she only knew about Oliver's 'Green Arrow' persona. It wasn't as though they didn't trust her, but she was better off not knowing.

Which was why Chloe was currently having a mini panic-attack, preparing herself to lie to her cousin. She just hoped that Lois wouldn't hate her.

"Hey, 'Cos, what are we getting for take-out tonight?" Lois wondered as she walked in the door.

Chloe stood up from the table, steeling herself for the lie. "I'm sorry, Lois."

Lois closed the door behind her, chucking her keys on the nearest counter. "About what?"

Chloe sighed. "Oliver."

Lois paused, regarding her cousin. After a long moment, she sighed as well. "I'm just happy you're finally telling me," Lois told her.

"Really?" Chloe asked. "You're not mad?" It wouldn't be an unreasonable emotion.

Lois shrugged. "Ollie and me were over a long time ago. It's about time he found someone else. And you two make a pretty cute couple, too."

Chloe blushed uncontrollably at that, thinking about the act that they would have to put on in the near-future. "Anyway, I'm sorry I didn't come out and tell you this morning. It was just a bit of a surprise to see it plastered all over the page. Can you forgive me?"

Lois rolled her eyes, stepping forward to give her cousin a hug. "Of course I can, Chlo. Now, give me all the goodies," Lois insisted happily. "How long has this little affair been going on?"

Chloe sighed, remembering the lie. "Just a couple weeks," Chloe told her. "It just sort of happened. He came over to talk about doing some funding for the Isis Foundation, and we got to talking, and it just sort of ... clicked."

Lois grinned. "Sounds like the best part of a relationship."

Chloe tilted her head at her cousin, quirking her eyebrows at her. "What part?"

"The beginning," Lois told her. "Where everything is fresh and exciting, and you're still in the 'isn't this a wonderful thing' stage."

Chloe pursed her lips, holding back a grin. "Sure, Lo. That's exactly where we're at."

...

"You're dating Chloe?" Clark asked, stepping into the room.

Oliver sighed, looking up from the floor plans he was going over. "Hello to you, too, Clark."

Clark ignored the comment, walking up to him and standing on the other side of the desk. "When did this happen?"

"Clark, before you get all caveman-possessive over our little, blonde sidekick, you might wanna take a breath and let me clear a few things up for you." He considered letting Clark believe that he and Chloe were really together, but really, where Clark was concerned, the lie wasn't necessary. He would probably understand the predicament, even if he wasn't happy about it.

Clark paused. "I'm listening."

Oliver nodded. "Chloe and I are not together."

Clark furrowed his brow. "So, it was actually just some trashy, tabloid lie?"

Oliver shrugged. "Yeah, but ... we - me and Chloe - decided to let them believe the trashy, tabloid lie."

Clark stared at him. "Why?"

"Because it's the perfect cover," Oliver told him, stepping back from the plans in front of him. "With Chloe being an official member of the team now, we're going to be spending a lot more time together, using Isis as headquarters. Without this excuse, people are going to be digging into why we're spending so much time together, and will eventually figure out that Isis is being used as a front. We can't risk everyone's identities by denying the relationship."

Clark narrowed his eyes, considering the situation. "Can't you just use someplace else as headquarters? Be a bit more stealthy about it?"

"That might be a quick fix, but it's not foolproof, Clark. This is the only way to ensure the security of Isis."

Clark doubted that, but he begrudgingly saw Oliver's point. "And Chloe's on-board with this?"

Oliver nodded. "It didn't take much convincing, Clark. She understands the importance of this."

Clark pursed his lips. "I'm not happy about this."

Oliver scoffed in response. "No one asked you to be. Believe it or not, Clark, this isn't about you."

Clark clenched his jaw, taking another step forward. "I'm just worried that this is going to hurt Chloe in the long-run."

"Your concern is duly noted, Clark. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have an event to get ready for."

Clark wanted to press the matter further, but figured he should have a cool head when discussing this with Oliver. He didn't see this ending well, and didn't want his friend to get hurt. Oliver's playboy ways were well-known, and he didn't want Chloe to have any unrealistic expectations. He was heading back for the elevator when a thought occurred to him. "Is Chloe going with you to this 'event'?" he wondered.

Oliver forced a half-smile onto his face. "Not that it's any of your business, but yes."

Clark nodded, leaving the penthouse.

Oliver spent a few more minutes going over the plans in front of him, before he retreated to his room to prepare for the evening. It was a win-win that he would have Chloe with him tonight. It was going to be dicey enough to get the information that he wanted when he was going in solo. Chloe only needed a fifteen-minute briefing to get up to speed on the operation, and prepare herself for the event.

He was glad that Chloe was going to be on his arm tonight ... he just wished she'd let him pick out her dress. He had no idea what she would be wearing that night, and considering that she was going to be thrust into the spotlight, he would have felt a lot better if he could have a say in her wardrobe.

He put it behind him though, focusing on the task that was to come.

He and Chloe would have to put on a believable act in front of dozens of people, he just hoped that she wouldn't freeze up.

...

_End of chapter one. _

_I was going to make this one long story, but decided to break it up into a few chapters instead. _

_What do you guys think so far? Like it, hate it? _

_Reviews are appreciated, flame if you must, but constructive criticism is much more useful. _

_Until next time ...! _


	2. Chapter 2

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_A Chloe/Oliver fic. _

_Chapter Two. _

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_Disclaimer: See Ch. 1. _

_..._

_A/N: Wow, I'm so glad that so many of you liked the first chapter! Thanks for all the great reviews! _

_In regards to the Clark/Oliver squabble in the last chapter ... they don't really get along that well on the show as it is. They have very different methods, but I think they make an effort to be nice for Chloe and Lois's sake. Let me also state that I used to love Lois Lane as a character - until Smallville. Mainly, the Lois/Oliver relationship is what made me dislike her. Never liked it, and I really hated how Lois thought she was the most important person in Oliver's life, just 'cause they dated a few months, and she found out his secret. So, if there's some hidden animosity towards Lois or Clark, this is why. It also really annoys me that Clark's been an ass to just about everyone except Lois, ever since he embraced Jor-El's shield. _

_So, yeah, at this point, Clark and Chloe's relationship is pretty solid, but this is a Chlollie fic ... I'm not going to put a whole lot of effort into the Clark or Lois side of it. Ever since Green Arrow came on the show, I've actually started watching it consistently, and I now own all the seasons on DVD. He and Chloe are the only reason I watch it anymore. (So they better not kill her off ...) _

_Okay ... now that that's over with ... let's get on with the rest of the fic! _

_I hope you guys like this one, I know I'll love writing it. _

_As always, please read and review, I live for feedback! _

...

Freeze up? Hardly.

Chloe worked the room with him flawlessly, making polite and interesting conversation with some fairly influential people. Her hand tucked into his arm was like second-nature, it just fit there. Nearly ever person that they came across asked them how they managed to keep their relationship hidden from the press until, and Chloe answered them with the prepared lie, that they were still getting used to the idea of them as a couple, and wanted to do that privately.

She never broke eye-contact, never fidgeted, never looked nervous or blushed. She didn't give any of the tells that a liar would, and Oliver was finding himself highly impressed.

He might have been worried about her wardrobe choice before, but his concerns were pushed away when he picked her up at her apartment in one of his many cars, and saw her descending the stairs. Her choice of color was obvious - green - but she wore it well. The dress hugged her body in all the right places, and looked as though she might have bought it at the kind of store he would have bought the dress for her from. He wished she would have let him pay for it, though ... he didn't want this fake relationship to bankrupt her.

He had also been worried about her fitting into the business side of his world. He knew that she could spar with the best of them, but she'd never been in this situation before, and he honestly hadn't known how she would react to it. He'd hoped for the best, and he got his wish.

She impressed the men, and made many of the women jealous of her. An overall success.

Aside from it being their first public appearance as a 'couple', he'd had another reason for bringing her with him tonight. He needed to plant a 'backdoor access' of sorts into the building's system, so that he could keep an eye on their less-public business dealings. He could have gotten Victor to do it, but he was preoccupied with another assignment, and it was easier to explain Chloe's presence there, than it would be to explain Victor's.

Chloe made a show of needing to find a restroom, and Oliver offered to assist her, winking at the couple that they'd been talking to so that it seemed like they were going somewhere for some alone time. It wouldn't be too hard to believe that they were still in the passion phase of their relationship.

They made their way from the crowd, under the guise of finding a bathroom, surreptitiously checking to be sure that they weren't being followed.

They easily evaded the security on the upper floors, making their way to the office that they needed.

"How long will it take?" Oliver asked in a quiet voice, closing the door behind them and watching her move to the computer.

"Maybe ten minutes," Chloe replied, situating herself in the desk and starting up the computer on it. "Depends on the complexity of the password."

Oliver regarded her, moving to stand beside her. "Can you crack it?"

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Just give me some room, Archie."

Oliver looked at her out of the side of his eyes, narrowing them as he understood her meaning. "Please, don't let that one stick."

Chloe chuckled softly, her fingers moving over the keyboard. She'd gone over everything they had on the company, as well as the CEO, needing to know any significant personal information to help her crack the password.

A minute later, and 10 password attempts, she discovered the password was the date of his son's birth.

"Typical," she murmured happily, easily hacking her way into the mainframe.

"How much longer?" Oliver asked, keeping an eye on the door for any signs of the security guards' flashlights.

"Keep your pants on, Ollie, it'll only take a couple minutes. Just need to install the program, and then cover any traces of it so that they can't see the new backdoor installed," she told him.

If it had been Victor telling him this, he would have just said, "Make it snappy." But this wasn't some Cyborg-enhanced super-human. This was just Chloe, in all her hacker glory. Oliver was impressed.

Her fingers moved rapid-fire along the keyboard, making the company's security bend to her will. Her eyes narrowed at the computer screen while she worked, the corner of her mouth tucking lightly against her teeth. She was completely focused on her task.

A few minutes later, her work was complete. "There," Chloe spoke proudly, powering down the computer. "Done."

Oliver opened his mouth, about to congratulate her, when he heard voices coming down the hallway. He was so focused on watching her work, that he hadn't noticed the guards making their way down the hall.

Chloe turned off the monitor, panic in her eyes.

They couldn't hide under the desk, as it didn't have a front that went to the floor. There was nowhere else to really hide in the office, and the security guards always made a check of all the rooms.

"What are we gonna do?" Chloe asked in a worried whisper.

Oliver looked all around the room, trying to figure out how they were going to get out of their. They couldn't sneak past the guards, and if he suppressed them, then the company would be alerted to their presence in his office, and would likely do a more thorough search of the mainframe, thereby discovering their tampering.

The security guards drew closer, so Oliver did the only thing he thought would work.

He pulled her around the desk with his hand on her wrist, zeroing in on the comfy-looking chairs in front of the desk. "Don't freak out," he told her, and then quickly sat down on one of the chairs.

"What are you -?" But her question was cut off as Oliver pulled her down on top of him. Her dress was fairly slink, so it didn't tear as her knees fell on either side of his legs, but she did have to adjust it a bit to be comfortable.

"Just go with it," he almost pleaded, and then pulled her mouth down to his.

Chloe's eyes widened in surprise, even though a part of her caught on to his thinking. With her mouth sealed onto his, she blinked her eyes a few times before closing them, and thought to push his suit jacket off of his shoulders before the doors were opened, and a light was shone on them.

"This area is off-limits," the guard told them, surprised to find them in there.

Chloe gasped as she pulled away from him, surprised to find that one of his hands had made its way to her backside. "What?" she stammered out, her flushed appearance not at all fake.

Oliver grinned up at her, tucking a lock of hair behind her ears. "Sorry, boys ... we just wanted to have some alone time. You know, away from the party."

"Well, I'm afraid you're going to have to return to the party, or we'll have to escort you from the building," the guard told them.

Oliver made a show of being annoyed, sighing as he hoisted Chloe off of him, and then standing up from the chair.

Chloe looked away from the guards, straightening out her dress as Oliver fixed his jacket.

Once he was done, Oliver took Chloe's hand and led them out of the office, making their way down the hallway. The guards followed behind them, making sure they made it back to the party.

They immersed themselves in with the rest of the guests, waiting until they were out of sight from the guards to breathe a sigh of relief.

Chloe toyed with the shoulder of her dress as Oliver snagged them a couple glasses of champagne.

"A flawless performance, Miss Sullivan," he complimented, handing her a glass.

Chloe downed half of it, staring up at him. "Yeah, well, it would be nice to have a little more warning next time. Maybe let me in on the plan beforehand?"

Oliver shrugged. "That was complete improv," he told her. "I thought we'd be in and out before the guards made their rounds."

Chloe nodded, the blush that had settled over her in the office keeping up its appearance.

"Hey, I'm sorry if I was out of line," he told her, placing a hand on her arm by her elbow.

Chloe shook her head, ignoring the tingles that his touch created. "It's okay ... just a bit surprised, that's all."

Oliver nodded his head slowly. "Well, do you want to stay for the rest of the party, or head out?" He didn't want her to be more uncomfortable than necessary.

Chloe considered his offer. "We should probably stay a little longer, to keep up appearances. It might look strange, otherwise. Don't want to give people a reason to suspect anything."

Oliver agreed wholeheartedly, happy that she'd made the decision.

They continued to mingle with the crowd, taking part in a few more conversations, sampling a few more h'ordeuvres. They stayed almost an hour longer before they finally made their exit, his car waiting for them when they got to the street.

The drive back was relatively silent, neither of them having much to say until they arrived back at her apartment.

"Well, tonight was ... interesting," Chloe stated as they exited the car, and slowly made their way up to her apartment.

Oliver grinned, following her inside the Talon and up the staircase. "That it was."

Chloe paused before entering the apartment, knowing that Lois was probably waiting up to pick her brain about all the details of the night. "So, we'll meet tomorrow morning at Isis, see what that little trap-door into the program gets us?"

Oliver nodded. "Nine o'clock?" he suggested.

Chloe nodded her agreement. "Perfect. Um ... thanks for taking me along. It was kind of fun to be out in the field." She placed a hand on the doorknob, ready to enter the apartment.

"Fun ... definitely one of the many words I'd use to describe tonight," he replied, giving her that thousand-watt smile before he turned to descend the stairs, leaving her wondering at the meaning of his words.

Almost a minute later, Chloe gathered her wits about her, and finally entered the apartment the she shared with her cousin.

"So, tell me everything!" Lois immediately barraged her, offering her a delicious-smelling coffee as incentive.

Chloe rolled her eyes, knowing she was in for a long night.

...

_End of chapter. _

_A bit shorter, I'll try to make up for it with the next one. I still don't know how long this will be ... I never do. _

_Well, what did you guys think? Like it, hate it? _

_Reviews are appreciated, flame if you must, but constructive criticism is much more useful. _

_Until next time ...! _


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